Sermons on Everyday Life (Page 8)
Topics and issues we encounter in our everyday lives.
Two Paths | Proverbs 1:8-33
Have you ever taken a wrong turn? In today’s world if you have a smart phone wrong turns should be less and less common. If you have Google or Apple Maps or Waze you should never miss a turn, and yet sometimes we still do. When I get to the place my GPS says to turn it’s not as clear as my phone says it should be. The off-ramps merge into two lanes going generally the same direction and you…
Why Proverbs? | Proverbs 1:1-7
If you had to choose one proverb to live your life by, what would it be? Would it be? “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” Maybe you’re all about individual responsibility and high quality work. Or how about? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” That’s the golden rule, right? That seems like a pretty good proverb to live by. Or maybe you’ve heard this one? “Good things come to those who…
Rest | Matthew 11:28-30
So I think we all like the idea of rest and when we think of rest, we probably have different things that come to mind. [pics of rest] So I don’t think Jesus is talking about rest like this in our passage today. Jonathan preached a great sermon on Sabbath last year recommend to go back and listen to it. Think to yourself if you are tired in any of these ways. tired of just making ends meet, tired of…
Aging | Ecclesiastes 12:1-8
Today I’m continuing to reflect on what I’m learning at the Gordon-Conwell Ockenga Fellows retreats. Last time I talked about death and dying, but today I want to talk about aging, about growing old. Now obviously I have more years than some of you and less than others. So I’ll do the best I can to teach what the Bible has to say about aging. I’m also going to share some of what others who know better than I have…
The Road to Emmaus: When You Can’t See Jesus | Luke 24:13-35
Have you ever had that experience when you can’t see something and it’s right in front of you? This week I needed to give Elijah his milk and I knew Monica had put some in the fridge but I couldn’t find it. When I opened the fridge it wasn’t there and when I moved some of the food and other items it wasn’t there either. So I called Monica and I asked her if she had put the milk in…
A Good and Faithful Death | Psalm 90
Tonight we are going to talk about death. At the Ockenga Fellows Retreat last week we discussed “Science, Technology, and Healthcare.” I’m going to cover technology in May but tonight I want to discuss how to die well. By show of hands, who here thought about death this week, either your death or that of a loved one, family member, or friend? A lot of us thought about death this week. Our culture doesn’t like to talk about death but…
Meditations on Gethsemane | Luke 22:39-46
Meditation #1 – Prayer defeats temptation by connecting us with Christ and each other. (Luke 22:39-41, 45-46) Tonight I have three meditations on Jesus’ time in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion (Matt 26:36; Mark 14:32). After each meditation you will have a chance to pray and reflect and respond in song. We’re doing this with the hopes that this passage will sink in deeper and be more life-changing. We don’t want to come to church and…
A New Society | Ephesians 6:1-9
Have you ever received a letter from someone that was 4 or 5 pages? What do you do? You read it right? Most of us would read the whole letter. We would never just read one paragraph each week for 12 weeks. The book of Ephesians is a letter. The problem is that we have taken many weeks to study it and sometimes we get lost in the details and lose track of the main point. So, today, before…
Marriage Part 2: Husbands | Ephesians 5:25-33
Today we are finishing our two-part series on marriage. Last week I spoke to the wives and this week I’m speaking to the husbands. If you missed last week, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to it because tonight’s sermon is half the story. Even if you’re not a wife, it’s helpful to understand the wife’s role, or if you’re not married how you can encourage your married friends or prepare for marriage. Husbands, I’d encourage you to…
Marriage Part 1: Wives | Ephesians 5:21-24
Today’s sermon is the first part of a two part-series out of Ephesians on marriage. This week I’m talking to wives and next week I’m talking to husbands. All I have to say to wives is that you’re awesome. The end… I’m just kidding, but when I told my plan to several Cornerstone women about preaching on wives one week and husbands the next I could tell it made them each a little nervous. But if you think you’re nervous.…
Immorality. Darkness. Thanksgiving. | Ephesians 5:1-20
My sister-in-law recently poked fun at me by posting this meme on my Facebook page. It pictures a rather stiff looking aristocrat at a sporting event clapping and saying, “I say, what a rather robust group of fellows. Which color are we rooting for?” She knows I don’t really do sports. I don’t watch football or basketball or baseball or golf except for when I’m with friends or family. But I still want to try and start today’s sermon with…
Think Differently | Ephesians 4:17-32
Have you ever met your doppelgänger? A doppelgänger is someone who looks like you but isn’t related to you. This is an example of a doppelgänger. A wedding photographer met his doppelgänger flying from Ireland to Scotland. I met my doppelgänger when I lived in Falls Church VA. We attended the same church and people would walk up to him and say, “Hi Jonathan.” His name is Russell. In Ephesians Paul calls the church the body of Christ (Eph 4:15-16).…